Shiell



v 4' Sheets-.Sheet 1.

Patented Feb. 9, 1892.

, m, 10mm/r (No Model.)

R. B. DASHIELL.

BREEGH LOADNe ORDNANGB.

4 T.. L E Tl H S A D nu R.

BREECH LOADING ORDNANCE.

Patented Feb. 9, 1892.

4 Reefs-Sheet 3.

R. B. DASHIELL.

BREEGH LOADING ORDNANUB.

(No Model.)

N0. 468,331. Patented Peb. 9, 1892.

oooooooo R. B. BASI-HELL. BBBBBBBBB DING ORDNANGB.

Patented Feb. 9, 1892.

eeeeeeeeeeeeeee UNITED STATES ,PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT BROOKE-DASHIELL, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. l

BEEOHLOAD|NG onuwhich.'A

SPECIFICATION forming part ofpLetters Patent No. 468,331, dated February 9, 1892.

' Application lellNovelnber 4, 1890. Serial No. 370,319. (No model.)

.To all whom t may concern: n

Be it known that I, ROBERT BROOKE DA- SHIELL, ensign,United States Navy, a citizen of the United States, residing at Washington, in the District of Columbia, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Breech- .Loading Ordnance; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable Others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My inventionrelates, generally, to breechloading Ordnance, and particularly to that type thereof in which is used a breech block or plug; which is formed'with exterior,inter rupted, or mutilated screw-threads5which tit-s into a correspondingly screw-threaded opening or -seat in the breech of a gun; which is withdrawn .therefrom in a rearward andhori- Zontal direction, and which is Operated in connection with a swinging carrier or tray which ispivoted to one side of the breech of the gun and which acts as a guide in inserting the breech-pluginto and leniovingit from its openingor seat and as a support for the same when it is withdrawn from the gun; and

:nyinvention also especiallyrelates to that `Iype of ordnance in which three movements are made for opening. the breech, the first being the partial turning of the breech-plug for unlocking the same, the second the with' drawing of said plug backward and upon said tray, and the third the swinging aside of the tray with said plug thereon; and my invention consists in the peculiarities of construction and arrangementor combination of parts hereinafter fully disclosed in the description, drawings, and claims. y

The objects of my invention are, first, to provide improvements in the breech mechanism of such guns, whereby they can be worked, loaded, 'and fired more rapidly than usual, the several movements of the breech-plug being effected in succession by the continuous swinging of a single hand-lever, by the n iove v ments of which in two opposite directions the breech of thegun scan be completely `opened and closed; second,to provide aniniproved firing attach ment,- which, during the closing of the breech, is automatically cocked 0r made ready for the next discharge, whereby the gun can be tired with safety the instant l the breech is closed`,and, third, teso construct said `firing attachment and combine the same with the breech-plug that the explosion of the charge previous'to the` locking of said plug in place will be impossible. These objects are accomplished by the' peculiarly constructed and arranged mechanisms illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in whichv the saine reference-numeralsindicate the same parts, and in which-` Figure 1 represents a rear view ofthe breech of a breech-loading gun constructed in accordance with my invention, the breech being closed; Fig. 2, a brokentop plan view of the same, partly in sectionfFig. 3, a rearview of the same, the breech-plug being withdrawn or released from its seatand resting upon the tray; Fig. 4, a top plan view fof the same; Fig. 5, a detail bottom plan view of the breechplug; Fig. 6, a side view of the gun-breech, showing the tray and the plug'thereon moved to the right to their yfull extent, or about ninety degrees; Fig. 7, a left side view of the gun-breech, showing the operating mechanism closed; Fig. 8, a right side view of the same; Fig. 9, al vertical section 'onthe line :no: on Fig. 3; Fig. 10, a section on the'line y' .e on Fig. 1 Fig. 11, a section'on the line'y'on Fig. l; Fig. 12, a view the same as that in Fig. 10, except that the latter shows the` gun fired, while the former shows it ready for 'ring, or with the firing-pin cocked; and Fig.13 a detail perspective'view of. the horizontally and vertically clogged rack-bar.-

In the drawings, thenumerall indicates the .body of the gun; 2, the breech blockv or plug, which is formed with exterior mutilatedv screw-threads and fitsvintoa correspondingly screw threaded. interior opening or seat formed in the breech of the gun, and 3 the carrier or tray for supporting said breech-plug after it has been removed from its'seat in the breech. This tray is provided with the collai-which rises from its front edge and is formed on one side with the vertical extension 5, having the socketed lugs or bearings 6 at its upper and lower ends, which project forwardly and tit loosely Within the recesses 7, formed in the rear, surface of the breech, as more plainly illustrated in Fig. 8. Through these lugs or .bearings and the intermediate socketed part 8 of-the breech is passed the IOO ' spring-,pressed double-toothed latch 10, which y pletion -of its outward and the commencement vertical bolt or pin i), upon which the tray is pivoted or hinged. This collar not only strengthens said tray,bu t has the other peculiarities of construction hereinafterdescribed. .Near the front edge of the tray and upon its underside it is provided with the pivoted and is automatically disengaged from and engaged with the catch-pin 11 by the action of the breech-plug 2, which occurs during the comof its inward movementfrom andinto its seat in the breech, the purpose of said latch and catch-pin being to hold said trayto and release it from the breech; also the rear tooth 12 of said latch, which projects up through a hole in said tray, assists in holding the breech-plug fast upon the latter after *they have been released from the breech, and also upon the upper side of said tray-arel formed the ribs or guides 13, which are adapted to enter corresponding grooves formed in said breech-plug after the latter has been turned toits unlocked position and moved outupon said tray.

The mechanism whichl haveinvented and employ for withdrawing the breech-plug from and returning the same into its seat in the breech is the following: The hand-lever Mis horizontally arranged, supported upon the tray 3, and provided at one end with the handle 15 and at the other end with the circular nut 19 upon its lower end,while said curved slot permits it and said lever to be moved in either direction desired; also, said pin passes through a holeinthe elbow of the bell-crank lever 20, the end of the short or outer arm of which is pivoted uponthe tray by the screwl pin 21, while the end of its long 0r inner arm is formed with the vertical toe or stud 22, which. is fitted Vintoythe circular undercut groove 23, formed in the periphery of the breech-plug near its rear end, as shown most plainly in Figs. 10. and 12. Along the front part'of the tray is formed Vthe channel or guideway 24, in which the cogged rack-bar is slid back and forth, and which is formed along 'its right portion with the series of horizontal cogs 26 and along its left portion with the series of vertical cogs 27. The former cogs mesh or gear with the cogged segment 16 on the end of the hand-lever 14, while the latter gear with the series ot cogs 28 on the periphery of the rear end of the breech-.plug For limiting the travel of the rack-bar 25 across the face of the breech and presenting the pl ugat the proper point for delivery upon the tray the stop-pin 32 is secured to therear end of said breech .in alignment with` the left end of said rack-bar; also, this stop-pin converts the right end of saidraclrbar into a ful-crurn for the cogged segment 16 of the hand-lever to revolve upon, and thus by means of the bolt or pin 17 to move the long arm of the bell-crank lever rearwardly forI withdrawing the breech-plug and placing-the same upon the tray. The first cog 29 at the right end of the vertical series of cogs 27 on said rack-bar is arranged in alignment with the longitudinal groove30, formed in Vthe endwise movement of the rack-bar until the plug has been moved from the ribs or guides 13 on the tray and placed in its seat or luntil it is in proper position to be turned by the rack-bar and locked. The first cog 31 at the right end of the horizontal series of cogs 26 on the rack-ha r forms the fulcrurn upon which moves the bell-crank lever 2O forwardly'for forcing th-e breech-plug into its seat.

In addition to what is evident in the operation of the mechanism thus far described it may be further stated that when it is desired to open the breech'of the gun and the breechplug 2 is locked in its seat or in the position represented in Fig. 1 the hand-lever -14 is turned around to the rear and might, this movement being effected upon the bolt or pin 17 as a center, as said pin 'is held in the-bellcrank lever 20 and passes down through the curved slot 18'in the tray. 3. As the end of the short or outer arm of this bell-crank lever is pivoted upon the screw-pin 21, which is fastened in said tray, and as the long or inner arm of said lever is formed with the vertical toe or stud 22, which projects upwardly and into the undercut groove 23 inthe breechplugit is obvious that by turning said handlever and its cogged segment 16 to the right the latter will engage the horizontal cogs 26 of the rack-bar 25 and slide the same to the left, thatthe vertical cogs 27 of said rack-bar will simultaneously engage the cogs 28 of` 'the hand-lever turns when the bolt orpi'n 17 IOO rio

movement of said rack-bar to the left will be prevented by the contact of itsleft end with the stop-pin 82. The revolution of the handlever on the bolt or pin 17 as a center ceases at this point and is transferred to the first horizontal cog 3l on the right end of the rack-bar as a center or fulcrum. As the center of this cog is so arranged as to be in avvertical line with the axis of the screw-pin 21 when the the left end of said rack-bar is held against the stop-pin 32, a continued pull upon said hand-lever aroundvto the" right will cause it to swing on said axis as acenter, and by meansof theboltor pin 17 ,which passes-through of the gun.

these positions, the breech-plug and tray are motion which. withdraws the breech-plug its' rear and lower end will strike against and depress the vertical rear tooth 12 of the latch 10, and thus release the tray from the breech When the parts named are iu in proper condition for being swung on the hinge belt orpin 9 to the rear andright for opening thebreech of the gun.

After the tray and breech-plug have been moved to their greatest extent tothe right, or into the position shown in Fig. (i, and it is desired to close the breech of the gun, the handlever will be rst turned to the left, or to the position shown in Fig. l, so that lsaid tray and breech-plug will be returned to 'the breech and said tray automatically faste-nedthereto bythe catch-pin 11 and the double-toothed and spring-pressed latch 10,'t-he rear tooth 12 of the latter acting to'simultaneousl y unfasten said plug from the tray. Then in orderto effeet the return of the breech-plug to its seat,

a continued turning of said hand-lever 14 to Vthe left will cause it to revolve againon the vertical line passing through the center 'of the irr' horizontahcog 31 on the right end of the rack-bar 25,because, as before described, said rack-baris held in itsfprop'er place in thet'ray by reason" of the engagement'of the -firfst or right vertical cog29 on said rack-bar with the .longitudinal groove 30 inthe lower part ofI the breech-plug. Then furthertu rning of the hand-lever on Said center will-*cause the bellcrank lever 2O to swing forward on the screwpin 21, and thus cause the breech-plug to be thru'st intoits seat, and alsoduring this movenient the bolt 17 will have been movedto the left end o f 'the curved slot 1S, and the breechplug, being off the ribs or guides 13and in' its Seat in the breech, will have itsA cogged portion in mesh, with the vertical cogs 27 on the rack-bar. Then and finally the hand-lever is moved farther to the left', turning on the bolt 17 as a center, when the breech-plug will be turned one-sixth of a-revolution to the right and locked-in its seat -in the breech by the mutilatedV screw-threads thereon and therein, the positions of the parts at this time being represented in'Figs. 1, 2, 7, and S.

As the improvements thus described are intended and designed for employment Ain connection with rapid-tiring breech-loading ordnance,fin which is preferably used iixed ammunition having the percussion-cap 33 in the baseof the cartridge 34, I have constructed and lcombined therewith an improvedtiringattachrnent, of Vwhieh'the following is a description: The breechplug is centrally bored to receive the firing-pin 35, which is provided at its rear end with the shouldered hook 3G and around which is placed the spiral. spring 37 andl the grooved sleeve 3S, with which latter engages thelower forked end of the cooking-lever 39, which is pivoted to the rear face of the breech-plug and which, when the latter is in its seat in the gun,has1 its-upper end engaged in the curved or cam groove l0, which is formed in the projection l1. von the upper portion of the collar 1 and extends for one-sixth of the circumfereneeof the lat'- .ter. The lower end of this cooking-lever will be moved forward or backward in accordance with the position of its upper end in said cam-groove. The firing-pin 35 is held in its cocked position by the inner point of the vhorizontally-arranged Sear 42 and by the spring-i3 pressing against the stud 44 on the front side of said sear. The other or outer endof this' Sear is formed' with the toe l5 for engaging the toe 46 of the trigger 47, against the rear side ot which bears thev springl 48; To the left side of the body of the gun isattach'ed the small bell-crank lever 49, theend of its inner arm beiug'connected to the outer end of the trigger 47, while to theend of its otherarm is connected the lanyard 5,0, which I prefer to vhave'lead forward to pass around apulley located on the gun near its trunnions, and ,to thence return within convenient reach of 'the gunser\*ant,.so that it maybc `out of the wayof the operatorv of the breechplug-actuating mechanism. One or more ordinary or suitable extractors lare secured to the front end ofthe plugfor effecting the Withdrawal of empty cartridge shells or cases from the gun.

The operation of my improved -iiring attachment is 'as follows: After firing, or when the 4vparts are in the position shown inFig. 10, and when the breech of the gun is to be opened, as'previously-described, the rotation of the breech-plug to the right'by the left Ltrend of the mutilated screw-threads of said plugin its seat' will cause the upper end of the cocking-lever 39 to move along iu the inclin ed circular cam-grooveeO, which is formed, as statedin the projection 41 of the collare,

lOO

as shown in dotted and full lines in the'draw-lx ings.V Thismovement of the upper end of said cooking-lever will cause its lower forked end to move the grooved sleeve 38 and the firing-pin 35 to the rear until the vertical surface 'of the rear shoulder of the latter becomes seated or cocked upon the inner point of the horizontally-arranged seal' l2. During this unlocking movem'entthe inclination or taper of the rear shoulder of said tiring-pin will cause the scar 42 to lnoveoutwardly un til its inner point reaches thevertical surface of said'shoulder, when thefspring 43 will throw said'sear inwardly or in front of said shoulder and-hold said firing-pin cocked. All of these parts and their described'adjuncts will remain in these positions until the breechplug has been placed in the breechand it has comnienced'to lbe 'turned for locking it in its seat. Then as saidplug islrotated the upper end of the cocking-le'ver will move 'back in 'the cani-groove, slide the grooved sleeve forward-on the firing-pin, and compress the spiral springto its full extent. ln the meanifo time' the Sear-toe 45 will come into engagement with the trigger-toe 46, when the gun will be ready for tiring. All of this is done quickly and automatically, and it only remains to pull thelanyard for withdrawing the point of the sear t2 from the front of the shouldered hook 3G to eiect the ring of the gun. Also, as is evident, my improved tiring attachment possesses unusual safety, as it is impossible to fire the gun until the trigger 47 and the sear 42 become engaged or until the spiral spring 37 has been compressed, neither of which can take place until the breech-plug has been locked in its seat.

Having thus fully described the construction and arrangement or combination of the several parts of my invention, its advantages, and operation, what I claim as new isl. In ordnance in which the seat in the breech and the breech-plug are formed with correspondingly-mutilated screw-threads and in which said breech-plug is lirst withdrawny rearwardly and then swung horizontally, the combination, with a breech-seat anda breech plug thus constructed, the latter being provided with a series of cogs on its periphery at its rear end, of a pivoted tray, a movable y rack-bar connected thereto and formed with a vertical and a horizontal series ot cogs, the former series engaging with the series of cogs on said brcech-plug, and a hand-lever formed with cogs which directly engage with and operate said cogged rack-bar, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. In ordnance in which the seat in the breech and the breech-plug are formed with correspondingly-mutilated screw-threads and in which said breech-plug is. lirst withdrawn rearwardly and then swung horizontally the combination, with a breech-seat and a breechplug thus constructed, the latter being provided with a series of cogs at its rear end and on the lower side of its periphery, of a pivoted tray, a movable rack bar connected thereto and arranged on a plane below said plug and formed with a vertical and a horizontal series of cogs, the former series engaging with the series of cogs on said breechplug, and a hand-lever formed at one end with a cogged segment which directly meshes with the horizontal series of cogs on said rackbar and moves the same longitudinally, substantially as and for the purpose described.

In ordnance in which the seat in thev breech and the breech-plngar'e formed. with correspondingly-mutilated screw-threads and in which said breech-plug is first withdrawn rearwardly and then swung horizontally, the combination, with a breech-seat and a breechplug thus constructed, the latter being provided with a series of coge` on, its periphery at its rear end and witha longitudinal oroove' in the lower sectionof its screw-thread, of a pivoted tray, a movable rackbar thereon which is arranged on a plane below said plug and formed with a vertical and a horizontal series of cogs, the former series eng ing with the series of cogs on said breechplug, and a hand-lever formed at one end lwith a cogged segment which directly meshes with the horizontal series ot cogs on said rack-bar and moves the same: longitudinally, substantially as and for the purpose described.

4. In breech-loading ordnance of the character described, the combination, with the breech of a gun formed with recesses in one side of its rear surface and ywith an intermediate soeketed portion, of a tray formed with a collar having upper and lower socketed lugs or bearings which are seated within said recesses and a vertical bolt or pin upon which said tray is pivoted, substantially as described.

5. In breech-loading ordnance of the character described, the combination', with the breech of a gun formed with recesses in one side of its rear surface and with an intermediate socketed portion, of a tray formed with a collar having upper and lower socketed lugs or bearings which are seated within said recesses, a vertical bolt or pin upon which said tray is pivoted, means for locking said tray to and unlocking it from said breech, a breechplug, and means for sliding the same upon and from said tray, substantially as described.

6. In breech-loading ordnance of the character described, the combination, with the breech ot' a gun, a breech-plug provided with a series of cogs on the periphery of its rear end, a pivoted tray, and a cogged rack-bar thereon, the latter being connected with the IOO series of cogs on said plug, of a hand-lever IIO way along its front edge,.and a movable rackbar fitted in said guideway and formed with a vertical and a horizontal series of cogs, the former series engaging with the series of cogs on said breech-plug, of a hand-lever formed at one end with a cogged segment for operating said rack-bar, and-avbell-crank lever connected to said hand-lever, pivoted at one end to said tray and provided at its other end with a vertical toe or stud-which projects up into said undercut groove in the breech-plug, substantially as and for the purpose described.

8. In breech-loading ordnance of the character described, the combination, with the breech of a gun, a breech-plug. provided with a series of cogs on the peripheryot' its rear end and formed with a circular undercut groove, a pivoted tray formed with a curved slot and also with a guideway along its front edge, and a movable rack-bar fitted in said guideway and formed lwith a lvertical `and a horizontal series of cogs, the former series engaging with'the series of cogs on said breechpl'ugof a hand-lever formed at one end with a cogged segment for operating said rackbar, Yapivot-pin passing throughsaid curved slot and connecting said tray and hand-lever, and a hell-crank lever which is connected to said pivot-pin and hand-lever, pivoted at one end to said tray and provided at its other end with a vertical toe or stud which projects up into the' undercut groove formed in said breech-plug, substantially as described.

9. In breech-loading ordnance of the character described, the combination, with the centrally-bored breech-plug .anda tiring-pin arranged therein and provided with a shoulder near its rear end and with a spiral spring and a grooved sleeve, both being arranged in front of said shoulder, of a pivoted cookinglever engaging said grooved. sleeve, means for moving the lower end of said lever forward or backward, a horizontal sear having its inner end or point arranged to be engaged with or disengaged from said shoulder, and means for operating said sear, substantially as described.

upper end of saidilever and moving the lowerl end thereof forward or backward, va horizon- ,tal sear having its inner end or point arranged to be engaged with or disengaged from said shoulder, and means for operating said scar,

, substantially as described.

11. In breech-loading ordnance of the character described,the combination, with the centrally-bored breech-plug and a firing-pin arranged therein and provided with a shoulder near its rear end an-dwitlrgaspiral spring and a grooved sleeve, both beingv arranged in front of said shoulder, of a pivoted cookinglever having a forked lower end engaging said grooved sleeve, a pivoted tray provided with a collar having a projection upon its upper portion which is formed with a camgroove for engaging the upper end of said lever and moving the lower end thereof forward or backward, a horizontal sear having its inner end or point arranged to be engaged with or disengaged from said shoulderhand means for operating said sear, substantially as described. y

12. In breech-loading ordnance of the character described, the combination, with the centrally-bored breech-plug and a tiring-pin arranged therein and provided with a shoulder near its rear end and with a spiral spring and a grooved sleeve, both being arranged 1n front of said shoulder, of a pivoted cookinglever having a forked lower end'engagingsaid groqved sleeve, a pivoted tray provided with acollar having a projection upon its upper portion which is formed with a camgroove for engaging the upper end of said lever and moving the lower end thereof forward or backward, a horizontal seai' having its inner end or point arranged to be engaged with and disengaged from said shoulder and its outer end formed with a toe, a trigger formed with a toe which is adapted tobe engaged with and disengaged from said seartoe, and means for operating said sear and trigger, substantially as described.

13.4 In breech-loading ordnance of the character described, the combination, 'with the centrally-'bored breech-plug and a firing-pin arranged therein and provided with a shoulder near its rear end and with a spiral spring and a grooved sleeve, both `being arranged in frontof saidshoulder, of a pivoted cookinglever having aforked lower end engaging said grooved sleeve, a pivoted tray provided with a collar having a projection upon its upper portion -which is formed with a camgroove for engaging the upper end lof said lever and moving the lower end thereof forward or backward, a horizontal sear having l its inner end or point arranged to be engaged with and disengaged from said shoulder and its outer end formed with a toe, a trigger formed with a toe which is adapted to'be engaged with and disengaged from said seartoe, springs in engagement with said sear and trigger, a bell-crank lever attached to the side of the body of the gun and .having one end connected to the outer end of said trigger, and a lanyard connectedlto its other end and leading first forwardly and then rearwardly, substantially as described:

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses. l

ROBERT BROOKE DASHIELL.' Witnesses:

M. B. RiDoUT, E. R. DASHIELL.

IQQ 

